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When do college reps typically visit high schools? How can students find out when a visit is scheduled at their school? 

Admissions counselors will usually visit high schools during the fall, throughout September, October, and sometimes November. A smaller number of counselors will also travel to high schools in the spring, typically in March or April.  

Students can find out about visits through their high school or through the colleges they’re interested in meeting. On the high school side, your school counselors may post the list of visits online (on college search sites like Naviance), or physically in their office. Schools will also send posters with their visit dates to high schools, so keep an eye out for those. On the college side, schools will during their travel on their websites, usually with other visiting options. 

What is a school visit? What are the benefits for a student attending a school visit with an admissions counselor?  

A school visit is a short chat with an admissions representative in your high school, during your school day. It’s a college information session that comes to you and depending on the school or number of attendees, it can also be a very personalized conversation.  

School visits are a great way to connect with a variety of schools, without the work of travelling to visit schools that may be hours away or taking full days off from school or other responsibilities to see a campus. They also allow you to learn about a school in a more comfortable, familiar setting, where you might find it easier to think of questions. Visits are a great tool to build your college list in a low-stakes format. 

What is the structure of a school visit? How should students prepare?  

A school visit is typically about 20-30 minutes, in your college’s counseling office or a classroom space. Most admissions counselors will arrive with brochures and other written information on their college, as well as cards where you can give a college your information if you’d like to learn more. In a smaller group, the visit might be a small conversation, where the counselor will talk about their school and ask about what you’re looking for. In a larger group, the visit may be a presentation similar to one you’d get on a campus visit (without any of the travel time for you).  

There isn’t too much to prepare, but students should think about a few questions they have before the visit. These can be general questions about a college or very specific questions about your interests. Counselors will have plenty to share, and other students attending may have their own questions, but having a few in your head will be good preparation. 

How is a school visit different from a college interview? 

A school visit is not an interview. It’s an information session where the purpose is to learn more about a college, not to evaluate attendees for admission. Admissions counselors will not ask you interview-style questions, like ‘What’s a challenge that you’ve faced’, or ‘With three words, how would you describe yourself’. While you can make an impression on a counselor, they also will not be reviewing your interactions, your questions, or your answers the way someone might in an interview. It’s a casual setting and it’s designed for you to ask questions of an admissions counselor, not the other way around. 

"Arrive with many questions, with no questions, or wait for questions to come to you at the end of the visit."

Are there common misconceptions about school visits? 

One misconception about school visits is that a student has to have a notebook of questions prepped, or that they need to know most things about the school before the visit. Some questions can help guide the conversation, especially if there are things that might add or remove a college from your list. But admissions counselors can talk about our schools for hours. We aren’t disappointed if a student just wants to hear the basics or wants to sit back and listen. Arrive with many questions, with no questions, or wait for questions to come to you at the end of the visit. A visit is an exploration process and shouldn’t come with any pressure or stress.  

What do you enjoy most about visiting a school?  

One of my favorite parts of school visits is getting to meet students and putting a face to the names that might pop up on emails I receive, and applications I read. It makes the job and the experience much more personal. It’s fun to see so many different high schools, and learn about them, from science teachers’ lab habits to how the track team is doing. Students’ recommendations for food in the area (or coffee shops, for me in particular) are another highlight.